Note: Only by experiencing seven layers of loneliness, enduring incomparable solitude, can one truly grasp the essence of love, and only then can one become a true master of romance—their world, his and hers, is born from this!
Looking at the words in the book, Seisui fell silent.
It was as if Garen's whisper had landed a blow—silent, yet breaking through defenses.
Did I really say something like this before? Seisui recalled.
When he had fought Minato one-on-one, he had only repeated what the King of Death had said.
How did it end up looking like this in the book?
Seisui pondered, while Nawaki raised his thumb beside him.
"I, Nawaki, hereby call you a master of love!"
At Nawaki's words, Seisui shook off his thoughts. Who cares? As long as he didn't reveal himself, it didn't matter.
"So, tell me everything! As the master of love, I will solve all your doubts!"
Seisui's voice carried an unusual confidence this time.
"All right!" Nawaki nodded, glancing around before leaning toward Seisui's ear to whisper.
Haru, sitting behind them, was speechless at their actions.
Others might not know, but she certainly did.
What kind of love skills could Seisui possibly have?
Everything in that book was Yamanaka Inoichi's own interpretations.
Rather than saying Seisui was a romance master, it would be more accurate to say Inoichi was.
Even if that "master of love" had never actually been in a relationship.
As Nawaki described, Seisui's expression grew increasingly strange.
"Minah?"
"Mm-hmm!" Nawaki nodded repeatedly like a rattle.
"Don't you think Minah is great?"
Nawaki's eyes sparkled. "She's usually quiet, and the most serious during Kushina's lessons. Her personality is also really good. And…"
Nawaki's face turned slightly red. "…she's really cute."
"So… does she know you like her?" Seisui adjusted his glasses seriously. "Let the Great Seisui teach you about love."
"Probably not," Nawaki said uncertainly. "I haven't really talked to her much… just secretly giving gifts."
A secret admirer… no, a pure-hearted boy, Seisui thought, pushing his glasses.
"If you like her, be bold and pursue her. How can you succeed without letting her know?"
From the back, Haru quietly spoke up, "If you like her, just love her."
"Huh?" Seisui and Nawaki both turned toward her.
Haru looked at them calmly. "My grandfather told me: if you like someone, just love them. They don't know you like them, or who sent the gifts. How could they develop feelings for you?"
"If you like her, just love her!"
"I get it!" Nawaki's voice boomed as a lightning bolt of understanding hit him.
"You truly are a master of love! I've learned so much!"
Seisui adjusted his glasses, nodding in approval. "The boy is teachable."
"When this war ends, I'll confess!"
Nawaki held his pendant tightly, staring at the sky with determination.
You're setting a flag, aren't you?
Just as Seisui was speechless, commotion erupted ahead.
"Ambush!"
"Everyone, be alert!"
At the word "ambush," Seisui and Haru immediately stood.
The long line of several hundred soldiers allowed them to see clearly from the supply cart.
"Big sister's here—how dare they try to ambush?" Nawaki said, looking at a Sunagakure chunin who had just been struck down by Tsunade.
"They have to try sometime," Seisui shook his head.
"Medical ninja aren't strong. Even a medical jonin isn't guaranteed to beat a regular chunin. The more they throw at us, the more they'll lose. For the Sunagakure, it's a gain if a certain number of medical ninja are casualties."
"Why?" Nawaki asked, confused.
"Konoha is far stronger than the Sunagakure. With jonin and chunin stacked against them, how could they win?"
Glancing at Nawaki, Seisui drew his tanto and explained. "If it were only a fight against the Sunagakure, they'd lose badly. But don't forget, it's four against one. Drag out the fight, and they can wear us down."
He waved his blade casually.
"Daikiten, disguise yourself as a puddle on the ground!"
"Are you calling me stupid, or are you really this dumb?"
Looking at the Sand chunin cut in half by his blade, Seisui sighed.
"They are pretty dumb," Haru said, taking her Gunbai Uchiwa from her back.
"Fire Style: Flame Fan Inferno!"
With a swing, a massive fire tornado surged forward, a combination of her fire and wind chakra.
Anyone near it would be sucked in, cut by the wind, and scorched by the heat.
This was Haru's signature move, only possible with her Gunbai Uchiwa.
The Sand ninja hiding nearby scattered.
Still, a few unlucky ones were struck, reduced to charred corpses.
Seeing the five remaining Sand ninja, Seisui stopped Haru from moving further and turned to Nawaki.
"The three of us, two of you. Got it?"
"Of course!" Nawaki tied his wood-style pendant and jumped from the supply cart confidently.
"Watch Nawaki closely," Seisui said to Haru.
"He's a pure boy," she nodded, eyeing the two jonin Nawaki had chosen.
There were only five enemies: two jonin, three chunin. Nawaki directly picked two jonin.
Pure boy, huh? Haru muttered.
If it were Nawaki unaware, that'd be excusable. But all five jonin wore Sand vests, radiating killing intent. Yet the boy went straight for the top two.
Seisui saw it, unsurprised. He knew Nawaki's pure-boy personality from countless sparring matches.
Nawaki jumped down, ignoring enemy formation or aura, instantly targeting two.
"Shadow Snake Hands!"
A giant snake shot from his right sleeve like lightning, aiming at a Sand jonin.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall!"
The snake twisted as a wall suddenly rose, sticking an explosive tag to it.
"Heh, got you!" Nawaki grinned, forming seals instantly.
"Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags!"
"So pure," Seisui muttered, twitching his eyebrow.
"Attack together!" shouted the Sand ninja, charging at Nawaki.
But Seisui appeared in an instant, beheading two chunin with ease.
"Sorry about that," he said apologetically, wiping blood from his blade. "Can't let you three interfere over there."
The surviving Sand chunin turned pale.
"You… you're a Ghost of the Konoha!"
They hadn't been informed of Seisui's presence and hadn't noticed him before—but now, it was clear.
"Damn! How can someone like you be here!"
"Why not?" Seisui smiled kindly. "I promised your Kazekage I'd treat you well."
What Seisui considered "kind" looked like a demon's grin to them.
"Impossible… how could we beat this demon?"
One chunin lost all will to fight. Seisui's single terrifying slash had left a deep impression—just one strike could make people feel like they were trapped in an illusion.
What a horrifying power!
"Done talking. Now die!" Seisui slashed, instantly beheading him.
BOOM!
As Seisui finished, Nawaki's Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags detonated.
The tags on the Earth Wall split into five, forming a simplified combined formation—safer than the full Combined Explosive Tag technique, though less powerful.
The two Sand jonin exchanged glances. Knowing they couldn't escape, they charged Nawaki.
They hadn't considered the explosion at all.
What a pure boy… Seisui muttered, returning to the cart. Seeing Nawaki's jutsu fail, he widened his eyes.
But a pure boy's techniques missing? That seemed normal.